Buffy and the Prince
by lindseyjo
Summary: Buffy meets Edward, the Black Prince of Wales. Written for TTH FFA 1778. No spoilers for Buffy or A Knight's Tale


Written for Twisting the HellmouthFic-For-All #1778 – Buffy/Prince Edward from "A Knight's Tale".

No spoilers for Buffy or "A Knight's Tale"; not messing with timeline of either story.

Disclaimer: Buffy's not mine, and neither is Prince Edward. The demon, such as he is, is mine. No profit, putting them back now. The mud should come off with a good shower.

Buffy and the Prince

by lindseyjo

"Stupid demon," Buffy groused silently as she crouched in the shadows. "Stupid portal-opening, slimy-nosed, dimension-hopping, tentacle-whipping, magic demon. Stupid Slayer speed—ran right into that stupid portal. And what the heck is that _smell_? Yuck!"

Trying not to gag, Buffy peered carefully around the corner toward where she'd last seen the demon. The street she saw was narrow and dark; there were no electric lights of any kind. Several windows cast a very soft glow onto the street, flickering enough that she knew it was definitely candlelight. Buffy eased herself around the corner and out onto the street. She hugged the building behind her, ducking under the rough window and slipping quickly past the door. She checked down the alleyway next to the building and saw nothing but darkness, even with her Slayer-enhanced night vision.

"Phew," she whispered, wrinkling her nose again at the increased smells of rotting food and various types of excrement. "This place seriously stinks."

Buffy darted across the alley and was about to commence with more sneaking when she heard a yell and a crash somewhere up ahead and to her left. The Slayer took off at a run, skidding around the corner in what she hoped was mud and managing to keep her footing.

The demon was battling a tall, dark-haired man in a long black coat of some kind; the man had a sword and seemed to be holding his own. As Buffy approached, the demon caught sight of her and redoubled his efforts, knocking the man's sword aside with one scaly arm and clobbering him over the head with the other. He dropped like a stone, and Buffy stepped up to take her second turn of the night.

"All right, now you're really starting to pi—"

A tentacle whipped out of the demon's back and slashed at Buffy's face, opening a shallow cut on her temple.

"—ss me off," she finished, dabbing at the thin trickle of blood. She glared balefully up at the tall, slimy, thing. "That's just rude. Can't you let a girl get a word in? I haven't even made a pun in this dimension yet, and I'm already bleeding."

Another tentacle whipped out. This time Buffy caught it before it touched her, but almost immediately let it go again with a yelp as it burned her hand. Her face hardened as she reached behind her and drew the short sword from its hidden sheath down her back.

"That's it, we're done with the talking."

The tentacle that sliced through the air at her was quickly cut off, followed by the flurry flying toward her from all angles. Buffy quickly lost count, but she definitely noticed when the tentacles stopped coming and the creature advanced on her.

"What's the matter, did I cut off all your whips?" she taunted, dancing easily out of its reach. "Guess you're going to have to get your hands dirty with the little Slayer now, aren't you?"

The demon roared and a tentacle whipped out of its chest this time, taking Buffy by surprise. She dropped to the ground just in time to hear the sound whistle above her, rolling away as the thing advanced on her again. The roll ended abruptly as Buffy fetched up against a rather solid object, grunting and dropping her sword. She used the offending house to scramble to her feet and slide out of reach of the tentacle once again.

"Okay, let's look at this thing rationally," Buffy started, holding her hands up in front of her and backing away. "You're an evil demon, I'm the Slayer, and only one of us can walk away from this fight."

"It'll be me," it growled through its mangled-looking mouth, taking yet another swing with the tentacle toward Buffy's head.

Buffy pulled back just in time, feeling the breeze as the end snapped in her face. "Now, let's not be too hasty. We came all this way, I've ruined my shoes _and_ my outfit, you made me bleed, I cut off all those whippy things of yours, …I think it's my turn now."

A gravelly voice spoke from behind the demon. "Actually, I believe it's my turn."

Buffy saw the point of a sword suddenly protruding from the demon's chest. It roared again and turned toward its attacker, chest tentacle whipping. The dark-haired man took a hasty step back and stumbled, falling back to the ground. Buffy took the opportunity to pull the sword out of the demon's back, stopping its advance for a moment. It was all the moment she needed.

"Well said, mister, but the sword goes through the neck," she grunted out as she swung and decapitated the creature. The head flew through the air and thumped against a wall, hitting the ground with its eyes up, open, and staring. Buffy stalked over and gave it a quick kick, accompanied by a little shudder as it and the body started to dissolve.

"I hate when that happens," she muttered, pulling a cloth out of her back pocket and wiping the sword clean of demon blood. She turned back to the man, flipped the sword hilt away from herself, and offered it back to him. He took it and the hand she held out, clambering back to his feet. The look he gave the tiny Slayer was long and measuring.

"It would appear I am in your debt," he said quietly, a small smile appearing on his face. "This is an interesting position for me; one in which I have not often found myself."

Buffy shrugged and waved her burned hand vaguely, a slight blush starting on her cheeks. "Hey, no problem, no thanks necessary. It's what I do."

The man regarded her for a moment longer, then extended his hand. "I am Edward. You are a stranger to this area, are you not?"

Buffy looked Edward up and down, taking in the handmade clothing, the soft leather boots, and the worn leather and fur of his long jacket. Then she looked down at herself in her practical slaying outfit—black babydoll t-shirt, black leather pants that fit her like a second skin, and ass-kicking boots. Add the blonde ponytail, sparkly eyeshadow, mud, and myriad stakes tucked into her belt, and she got exactly where he was coming from.

"Yup, definitely a stranger," she agreed, giving him her uninjured hand with a grin. Her eyebrows shot up as he bent over her hand, brushing a kiss over her bruised knuckles. "I'm Buffy, and I've definitely never been _here_ before."

Edward straightened up. "I am quite pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Buffy. Do you have lodging for the evening? You are injured, it is quite late, and as your attire is strange you may have difficulty finding…"

He trailed off as the demon's dissolving body gave a hiss before it disappeared into the ground completely. Buffy kicked at a rock as Edward turned back to her and smiled. "I must insist that you accompany me to my home this evening in return for your deed. You will be safe, dry, and well-cared for."

Buffy opened her mouth to object, but Edward shook his head and raised his chin stubbornly. "I will brook no opposition in this; you have saved my life, and I must be allowed to repay you in some manner."

The tiny blond smiled a little. "Okay, Edward, okay. Lead on."

Edward offered Buffy his arm and, after she retrieved the sword she'd dropped, they walked on into the night.


End file.
